The article concludes: "Viktor Yanukovich, the president of Ukraine, served the commercial interests of an oligarch [Dmytro Firtash] with whom he has close ties, at the expense of his own country. And, in doing so, he also did Moscow a favor....

Experts have calculated that the Ukrainian government [by not challenging Firtash's RosUkrEnergo in the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce] lost about $1 billion in this process of shifting 12.1 billion cubic meters of gas back and forth. Firtash, however, is raking in a huge profit at current prices. "

Yanukovych, Firtash, Boyko and the rest of the villains in this saga, have drained vast sums of money from the State of Ukraine's coffers, which the government could have spent for the benefit of its citizens.

How ironic - a monument to millions who perished in the Holodomor because their grain and food was stolen from them by the Soviet state, is now going to be erected by a man who many would say stole the money for this monument from the Holodomor victims' grandchildren.

The plates have an 'AA' prefix, indicating they has been assigned exclusively for the use of a parliamentary deputy, which Firtash is not.

As such, the driver of such a vehicle is absolutely 'untouchable' when it comes legal regulations on parking, and regulations concerning use of a vehicle on a public highway. [Is there any other civilised country where elected officials are granted such immunity from prosecution?]

Some people just cannot help it..

Update: Today's 'Ukrainska Pravda', in an investigative article, Tetyana Chornovol claims Firtash may have skimmed off over $2 Billion in various schemes over the years in what she calls the theft of the century..

1 comment:

Bernard
said...

LEvko, I applaud this blogs efforts to shed light on the corruption and criminal activities of the different clans and families infesting Ukrainian society. "Yanukovych, Firtash, Boyko and the rest of the villains" as you write, have caused enormous damage to Ukraine, and still do.

"Never take resonsibility, always blame others", the first axiom of the mafia/communist alliance currently ruling Ukraine. A striking example is the price for russian gas. There is a constant litany of the price claimed to be too high and a constant blaming of Tymoshenko for this. But of course always ignoring some simple facts:

1/ It is under their own governance that the price has increased2/ The price was considerably lower when Tymoshenko was prime minister3/ The price formula now applied was approved by Yanukovych and Azarov when they signed the Kharkiv agreement in 20104/ After signing the Kharkiv agreement Yanukovych boasted that it would save Ukraine 40 billion USD till 20195/ In contrast to other European countries they have not renegotiated the terms since 2010

The current leadership is responsible for what they are doing today, including the price they are paying for russian gas. If they think the price is too high, instead of crying and complaining like babies they should do something about it! How is it possible that for three years they have not been able to renegotiate the terms? I think it is quite plausible that they have deliberately avoided to renegotiate, just pretending they are holding some kind of talks, only in order to blame Tymoshenko for what is really their own responsibility. Otherwise they are just lousy negotiators and that is also their own responsibility. It is pathetic to see these guys building grotesque castles for themselves, stealing and robbing from the people, and then point fingers at others to hide their own incompetence and corruption.